EcoMobility Alliance

The EcoMobility Alliance, historically known as the Global Alliance for EcoMobility, is a global cross-sector partnership focused on sustainable urban mobility. It promotes an integrated approach in which people can move through their local environments by combining non-motorized transport with public transport rather than relying on privately owned motor vehicles. Its concept covers walking, cycling, wheeling and what it calls “passenging”: the use of shared or public transport such as buses, trams, subways, light rail, trains, ferries, collective taxis and low-emission taxis. The Alliance’s objectives extend beyond transport-mode substitution. It presents EcoMobility as a means of improving access to mobility, supporting health, reducing air pollution and noise, improving energy efficiency, cutting greenhouse-gas emissions and lowering individual travel costs. In this framing, transport policy is connected to wider urban-development goals, including accessibility, public health, climate protection and the creation of more livable local environments. The organization originated as the Global Alliance for EcoMobility, a non-governmental organization launched in Bali on 10 December 2007 during the United Nations climate-change conference COP13. The term “EcoMobility” had been coined earlier in 2007 by Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, then associated with ICLEI and the Alliance. The word was intended to provide an English-language equivalent for the German concept “Umweltverbund,” which had been used to describe the integrated use of environmentally preferable transport modes, particularly walking, cycling and public transport. In October 2011, the organization was transformed into the EcoMobility Alliance during an event in Changwon, South Korea. The change reflected an effort to develop a broader, cross-sector structure rather than operate solely as a conventional advocacy organization. Its membership model brings together public authorities and policy makers, professional and technical experts, companies involved in production, trade and services, and user-oriented organizations. These groups are intended to represent the four principal EcoMobility segments—walking, cycling, wheeling and passenging—and to provide a balance between policy, expertise, industry and users. The Alliance is designed to work internationally. It seeks participation from organizations across regions and income levels and advocates EcoMobility at the global level while recognizing that implementation depends on local conditions. Its work is oriented toward policy development, knowledge exchange, advocacy, collaboration among members and the development of practical initiatives. The available reference material does not establish a current membership list, active projects, present leadership, financial scale or current operating status. Accordingly, those details remain unspecified.

The EcoMobility Alliance developed from the Global Alliance for EcoMobility, an international non-governmental initiative created in the context of growing interest in climate protection, sustainable transport and urban accessibility. Its intellectual background lies in the idea that environmentally preferable mobility should not be treated as a collection of isolated modes. Instead, walking, cycling and public transport can be planned and used as a connected system that enables people to reach destinations without depending on privately owned cars. The term “EcoMobility” was coined in February 2007 by Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, who was associated with ICLEI and the emerging Alliance. The term was conceived as an English expression for the German word “Umweltverbund.” Otto-Zimmermann had used the German concept from the late 1980s in work concerning the integrated use of environmentally friendly transport modes. The new English term was intended to be accessible to international policy makers, practitioners and other stakeholders while conveying the combination of environmental performance and mobility. The Global Alliance for EcoMobility was formally launched on 10 December 2007 in Bali during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference COP13. From the outset, the organization sought an international scope and a membership broader than a single profession or transport sector. Its intended participants included policy makers, technical and professional organizations, businesses involved in transport-related production and services, and users or user representatives. The Alliance treated this mixture as important because sustainable mobility requires coordination among public authorities, specialists, suppliers and the people who use transport systems. In October 2011, the organization was transformed into the EcoMobility Alliance at Changwon, South Korea. The transformation emphasized the Alliance’s role as a global partnership and clarified its four principal activity segments: walking, cycling, wheeling and passenging. Wheeling includes mobility using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and other wheeled or assisted devices, alongside bicycles, tricycles, velomobiles, scooters, skates, hand carts and related forms of movement. Passenging is the Alliance’s term for using public or shared transport, including buses, trams, subways, light rail, trains, ferries, collective taxis and low-emission taxis. The Alliance defines EcoMobility as an integrated form of environmentally sustainable mobility that combines non-motorized transport with public transport. The definition is deliberately broader than a simple promotion of cycling or transit. It includes the connections between modes and the ability of people with different physical capabilities to move through their communities. Electrically assisted devices may also fit the concept, particularly when their energy comes from renewable sources. Organizationally, the Alliance is structured around an Alliance Assembly, a Steering Group, a Secretariat and temporary Working Groups. The Assembly is the supreme body and represents the membership. It is responsible for matters such as the terms of reference, the Steering Group’s composition, budgets, financial reports and longer-term strategy. The Steering Group acts between Assembly meetings, overseeing membership, dues, strategy, work planning, financial review, conflicts and the Secretariat. The Secretariat is the operational body and is hosted and legally represented by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. The reference material identifies its office as being in Bonn, Germany. Working Groups are established for defined mandates and periods. They provide a mechanism for members to carry out parts of the Alliance strategy, implement projects and address specific mobility issues. The Secretariat is intended to coordinate advocacy, events, information services, member activities, working groups, reports, budgets and strategy implementation. The available sources do not provide reliable current information about the Alliance’s active programs, membership, executives or present legal status, so its contemporary activity level cannot be confirmed.

• 2011

  Transformation into the EcoMobility Alliance

  [1]Global Alliance for EcoMobilityen.wikipedia.org

  The organization was transformed into the EcoMobility Alliance in Changwon, South Korea, in October 2011.

• 2007

  The term EcoMobility is coined

  [1]Global Alliance for EcoMobilityen.wikipedia.org

  Konrad Otto-Zimmermann coined the English term “EcoMobility” to describe integrated, environmentally preferable mobility based on walking, cycling and public transport.

• 2007

  Global Alliance for EcoMobility launched

  [1]Global Alliance for EcoMobilityen.wikipedia.org

  The Global Alliance for EcoMobility was launched in Bali on 10 December during the COP13 United Nations climate-change conference.

A global convening and advocacy platform for integrated, environmentally sustainable urban mobility, positioned between public policy, professional expertise, transport-related business and mobility users.

• Sustainable mobility methodology · 2007

  EcoMobility framework

  The Alliance’s central intellectual offering is an integrated mobility framework that combines walking, cycling, wheeling and public transport. It treats these modes as complementary elements of one accessible local transport system, rather than as separate policy silos. The framework also links mobility planning with clean air, health, noise reduction, energy efficiency, emissions reduction and affordability.

• Collaboration platform · 2007

  Alliance membership and working groups

  The Alliance provides a structure through which public authorities, professional organizations, transport-related businesses and users can exchange expertise and work on defined initiatives. Its Working Groups are established by the Steering Group with specific mandates and are intended to implement elements of the Alliance’s strategy or projects assigned by the Assembly or Steering Group.

• 2011

  Reorganization as the EcoMobility AllianceStrategy

  Background

  The original Global Alliance for EcoMobility sought to promote an international and cross-sector approach to sustainable mobility.

  Action taken

  In October 2011, the organization was transformed into the EcoMobility Alliance in Changwon, South Korea, with a structure representing policy makers, experts, businesses and users across walking, cycling, wheeling and passenging.

  Aftermath

  The reorganization established the partnership model and governance architecture described in the reference material. Its subsequent activity and present status are not confirmed by the supplied sources.

  Source

1. 1Global Alliance for EcoMobilityen.wikipedia.org